Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot

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11.13
Consequently not like occupation with Torah.
11.14
To the Synagogue and does not wait until they are assembled.
11.15
M.: in the name of Rab.
11.16
See Introduction, § IV, on this paragraph.
11.17
The arm-Tefillin would be covered by the sleeve, but that of the bead would be visible. Also, the latter is inscribed with a symbol of the divine Name ; see Oesterley and Box, p. 448.
11.18
So Jastrow, p. 449 b, correctly, and with this meaning of hatibah may be compared the Arabic htb "to ask in marriage." Goldschmidt renders, "You proclaimed Me the one Ruler in the world, so I shall proclaim you the one ruling [nation] in the world" — an improbable translation.
11.19
Granted that I Chron. xvii. 21 is contained in the case worn on the arm, what is contained in the case worn on the head?
11.20
In addition to I Chron. xvii. 21 which is included in both cases.
11.21
The case of the head-Tefillin consists of four partitions, in each of which is a strip of parchment containing a prescribed Scriptural passage. But here Bab Ashe enumerates six passages !
11.22
Edd. add : and all these verses are written in [the Tefillin of] His arm. The words are omitted in M. and read like a marginal note inserted unnecessarily into the text.
12.1
The words "is the light denied him" do not occur in edd., but are added by M.
12.2
He should not allow his private concerns, i.e. probably the earning of his livelihood, to interfere with his religious obligations, but should trust that God will provide. Cf. Matt. vi. 34.
12.3
See p. 28 n. 2.
12.4
When there is no quorum in the Synagogue, certain parts of the Service, including important responses (cf. "none to answer") for the Congregation, are omitted. See Oesterley and Box, p. 344.
12.5
Wayyefallel ["and wrought judgment" R.V.] is taken to be identical with wayyitpallel "and he prayed."
12.6
It would then appear that he was eager to leave.
12.7
It is forbidden to take large steps on the Sabbath ; cf. Shab. 113 b.
12.8
Thus showing eagerness for the Torah.
12.9
Although one may not be sufficiently learned to understand the address given in the Synagogue or House of Study, yet one can acquire merit by hastening thereto and enduring the discomfort of the crush.
12.10
It was meritorious to reason about the Torah and discover therein new teachings. See Introduction, § v.
12.11
Silent sympathy is better than profuse words of consolation. Cf. Jobii. 13.
12.12
"The giving of charity on fast days was much encouraged," Oesterley and Box, p. 434.
12.13
M. : Ashe.
12.14
The funeral oration was an address in honour of the deceased, and the heirs could be compelled to defray the cost of hiring an orator for the purpose. Loud wailing was also a feature of funerals in the Orient. See J. E. v. p. 529, Lane, Chap. XXVIII, T. A. II. pp. 68ff.
12.15
M. : Rabina.
12.16
M.adds : in the name of R. Helbo.
12.17
Wiesner, p. 18, finds here an attack on sun-worshippers (cf. fol. 7a, p. 37). Rab Huna, being a Babylonian, the Ark in his Synagogue would be in the West (see fol. 30 a, p. 197); therefore to pray with the back to the Synagogue would be praying towards the rising sun. Cf. Ezek. viii. 16.
12.18
In place of "Elijah... Arab," M. reads: An Arab saw him. On Elijah, see p. 7 n. 5.
12.19
The text has כדו בר which Rashi explains to mean "as if there were two divine Powers." M. has בדו בר which yields no sense. Jastrow, p. 139, rightly reads as one word בדובר (Page: 32).
12.20
M.: "Another version : to Rab Bebai b. Rab Nahman." According to Hyman, i. p. 264 b, the correct reading is "Rab Bebai to Rab Nahman" or "to Rab Nahman b. Jacob."
12.21
E.g. prayer which ascends to God.
12.22
M. adds : R. Johanan said.
12.23
"Coast-towns" corresponds very much with our phrase "foreign parts."
12.24
The word is a transcription of χρῶμα "colour," which is used in Hebrew and Aramaic in the sense of "a precious stone of reddish hue"; Krauss, p. 296. Lewysohn, Zoologie det Talmuds, p. 183, identifies the bird with the "bird of Paradise," and compares the Spanish name for it, pajaro del sol.
12.25
The Grace after meals includes the petition, "We beseech Thee, O Lord our God, let us not be in need either of the gifts of flesh and blood or of their loans, but only of Thy helping hand, ...so that we may not be ashamed nor confounded for ever and ever" (Singer, p. 281). Cf. "Make thy Sabbath [table] like that of a week-day, but be not dependent upon others" (Shab. 118a); and "Flay a carcase in the street and earn a living, and say not, I am a great man and the work is beneath my dignity" (Pesah. 113 a).
12.26
R.V. "evening"; but the Minhah was brought in the afternoon. See Schurer, II. i. pp. 286 f.
12.27
M.: Nathan. Another reading is Jonathan.
12.28
Lit. "voices," and the plural, when not otherwise specified, means two.
12.29
Add these "thunderings" (lit. "voices") and we have seven, not five!
12.30
The parallel passage in Shab. 30 b reads Eliezer.
12.31
Reading לצבות "to be subservient" in place of the unintelligible לצוות. See Jastrow, p. 1260.
12.32
The reading of M. is adopted in preference to edd. : "Whoever knows that his neighbour is in the habit of greeting him should greet him first; as it is said, 'Seek peace and pursue it'." "To greet" is literally "to give peace," the form of salutation being "Peace upon you."
13.1
According to Hyman, n. p. 722 b, we should read Jose b. Zimra.
13.2
See Introduction, § iv, and also Abelson, Immanence of Ood, p. 70 note.
13.3
Of justice.
13.4
"The Holy of Holies" added by M. According to the Jewish sources, he was one of the last of the High Priests and suffered martyrdom (see fol. 57 b) with Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel the Elder. He is accordingly identified by some with Ishmael b. Phabi who held the Office about 60 c.e. This identification, however, is very uncertain, and there are scholars who doubt whether there was a High Priest of that name. They think that the person referred to here is the Tanna Ishmael, who was the son of a High Priest, and that the theosophical passages where he is mentioned (see fol. 51 a) are later legendary additions to the Talmud. See A. T. i. pp. 259-263.
13.5
A divine appellation usually explained as a combination of keter "throne" and el "God." Schorr (quoted by Goldschmidt) connects it with ὀχθρὁϛ, Heb. עליון "Most High."
13.6
See p. 8 n. 5.
13.7
Since God asked for the blessing of a mortal. An instance of the doctrine of Imitatio Dei; see Introduction, § IV.
13.8
Cf. "R. Simeon b. Eleazar said : Do not appease thy fellow in the hour of his anger, and comfort him not in the hour when his dead lies before him, and question him not in the hour of his vow, and strive not to see him in the hour of his disgrace." Abot iv. 23, Singer, pp. 197 f.
13.9
So the Hebrew literally.
13.10
The number is corrupt, and there are numerous variants ranging from 88,888 to 8,888. J. T. reads 56,848. The correct number is 82,080; see Brodetsky in J. R. II. p. 173.
13.11
Euphemism for Israel.
13.12
So M. Edd. : But it stands on one foot at all times! During the rest of the day, it has red streaks [in its white comb], but not during the afore-mentioned hours.
13.13
Edd. : Sadducee ; an alteration to satisfy the scruples of the mediaeval Censor who regarded every reference to the Min as an attack on Christianity.
13.14
"On waking up" occurs in M. but is wanting in edd.
13.15
I.e. self-reproach.
13.16
This is the reading of M. and the earliest edd. Subsequently it was altered to "that the Shekinah should rest only upon Israel" for fear of the Censor. Bacher detects in the words a polemic against the aspirations of Christianity; A. T. II. p. 179, n. 8.
13.17
What follows is the purport of Moses' request, "Show me now Thy ways."
13.18
Lit. hold the deed of their fathers in their hands.
13.19
Against this attempt to solve the problem, cf. "R. Jannai said: It is not in our power to explain either the prosperity of the wicked or the afflictions of the righteous" ; Abot iv. 19, Singer, p. 197.
13.20
R. Jose's statement that God granted the three requests of Moses.
13.21
The third request "to know God's ways," according to R. Meir, remained unanswered, Exod. xxxiii. 19 teaching that prosperity and its opposite are solely dependent apon the will of God.
13.22
At the burning bush where Moses hid his face: Exod. iii. 6.
13.23
These Rabbis explain the act of "hiding the face" as meriting reward not punishment.
13.24
M.: Hannina; but this is doubtful. There is another variant : Huna. See D. S. ad loc.
13.25
What feature in the "back" of God had an interest for Moses? This could only be the peculiar shape of the knot of the head-Tefillin which resembles the Hebrew letter dalet or mem.
13.26
According to Exod. xii. 37 the number of Israelites who left Egypt was 600,000. This number is described as "many," the same term being applied
14.1
I.e. Adon not JHWH.
14.2
cf. fol. 7 a, p. 35.
14.3
"What means Reuben?" is wanting in edd. but occurs in M.
14.4
The name is explained as a combination of re'u "see" ben "between."
14.5
Edd. omit "the sons of"; bat M. adds it in agreement with the Biblical text.
14.6
From the standpoint of the Aggddah, there is nothing strange in Leah quoting Chronicles. Cf. Sanh. 7 a, where Aaron quotes the Book of Lamentations. To the Rabbis, the Bible was an organic whole.
14.7
Ruth is here derived from the root rdwdh "to delight." wicked.
14.8
This question is raised to anticipate the objection against the interpretations of the names Reuben and Ruth, that the name preceded the event which is said to explain it.
14.9
Not Eliezer, as some edd. read.
14.10
The wars of Gog and Magog figure prominently in Jewish Eschatology. The Messianic Era will be preceded by a final combat between Israel and the heathen nations led by Gog and Magog. See J. E. v. p. 212.
14.11
The claim is not as heavy as he anticipated. I have adopted the reading of M. which is preferable to that of edd., viz. : "To a man against whom a bill for debt has been issued. Before he has settled it, he worries; but having settled it, he rejoices." The point of the comparison is the anxiety caused by uncertainty.
14.12
There is probably here an allusion to the tyrannical power of Rome; see A. T. II. p. 12, n. 3.
14.13
Lit. whose heart knocks him.
14.14
Lit. the hour laughs.
14.15
Although they be righteous.
14.16
R. Johanan in the name of R. Simeon b. Johai.
14.17
Lit. things of Heaven.
14.18
At such a time, the wicked can swallow up even the perfectly righteous.
14.19
Cf. fol. 6 b, pp. 30 f.
14.20
Edd. read lekalloto "to exterminate them," but the Biblical text has leballoto "to waste them."
14.21
By attending upon and associating with the Rabbis.
14.22
It was respectful to address a person in the third person with the title "master," not in the second person.
14.23
So that Rab Nahman should say his prayers simultaneously with them.
15.1
M. : Rab Nahman b. Isaac.
15.2
"The mighty" means the many assembled for prayer. This rendering of the verse is based on a slightly different reading of the Hebrew text ; viz. the waw of welo' is omitted, so that kabbir is taken to be the object of the verb and not an adjective qualifying el. R.V. "Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any."
15.3
I.e. many joining with me in prayer, and for that reason I was delivered. R.V. "for there were many [that strove] with me." The reference to Ps. Iv. 19 is out of place here and has been wrongly inserted from the Baraita which follows; cf. A. P. A. III. p. 542, n. 5.
15.4
I.e. a Congregation.
15.5
He was a Palestinian.
15.6
M.:R. Aha b. Adda.
15.7
"Doors" — the unspecified plural signifying two. "And then pray," etc. is added by M.
15.8
By praying near the door, he makes it appear as though he were eager to leave.
15.9
I.e. Palestine.

Tractate Berakot by A. Cohen, Cambridge University Press, 1921. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH002182132 Licence: Public Domain. Source.